Paris: La Défense

La Défense stands as one of Paris’s most iconic and ambitious urban developments—an innovative modern business district rising on the western edge of the city. Today, it is the largest business center in Europe, home to more than three thousand companies and a skyline defined by bold contemporary architecture. Conceived in 1958 as an extension of the historic Triumphal Way of Paris, La Défense embodies the concept of urbanisme sur dalle, with elevated pedestrian esplanades and towering structures designed to meet modern environmental and structural demands. Visitors can admire an impressive collection of constantly evolving skyscrapers, including the Grande Arche, the CNIT, the Areva Tower, and the newly built Hekla Tower, each reflecting cutting-edge architectural solutions adapted to contemporary needs.

The district’s development began in the mid-20th century, with the goal of transforming Paris’s western suburbs into a business hub comparable to London’s financial center. The 1960s saw the construction of pivotal landmarks such as the CNIT—designed by Robert Edouard Camelot, Jean de Mailly, Bernard Zehrfuss, with contributions from Jean Prouvé and Pier Luigi Nervi—and the district’s first skyscraper by Jean de Mailly. Over the decades, La Défense has continued to evolve alongside economic and social changes, culminating in the completion of the Grande Arche in 1989 by Johann Otto von Spreckelsen. Positioned on the historic axis of the Tuileries, it symbolically responds to the Arc de Triomphe while marking a new era of expansion supported by extended metro connections. Beyond its architecture, La Défense is also an open-air museum, showcasing sixty monumental contemporary sculptures—making the district not only a business hub but also a vibrant cultural and artistic destination.